Smart CitiesInnovate and connect with the world

Digital Enablement

With 90% of the world’s data generated in the last 2 years (IBM), and a 30% rise in Internet-connected devices in 2016 (Gartner) alone, the transition towards an Internet of Things (IoT) and a Big Data empowered Smart Digital World is happening today.

This digital enablement allows commercial and public sector organisations to innovate with new interactive and personalised customer/citizen experiences, and to leverage big data to drive outcome focused real-time decision making.

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is the driving force behind the dramatic rise in network connected devices. Machine to Machine, or IoT devices are appearing everywhere in our daily lives, monitoring the world around us and streaming data back into the Cloud. Sensors in our cars, on our utility meters, at railway stations, on our roads, from CCTV cameras and on our Smartphones are all generating data – Big Data that can be processed to empower event orientated decision making the Smart Digital City.

Traffic Management

In the Smart Digital City, this Big Data processing can help to keep our traffic moving – by tracking the movement of cars on the road, queues at junctions, weather conditions or broken down vehicles, the city can make analytical decisions in response to real-time events to keep traffic moving and reduce pollution.

Rerouting information could be pushed to in-car Satellite Navigation automatically diverting cars around accidents or traffic hotspots in real-time, ensuring the best use is made of city roads, reducing congestion and increasing transport network capacity without building new roads.

Personal Security

In the Smart Digital City, our IoT connected cars can automatically raise an alert after a crash or after a breakdown and relay two-way audio or video footage back into a control centre, or connect the driver to a mechanic or health professional for immediate assistance.

On our Smartphones, in a Smart Digital World a panic button could have a similar impact, creating an alarm and using location services to focus the city’s CCTV on the user automatically. Video on the Smartphone can be used to connect the user directly to the emergency services to collect evidence, or enable a healthcare professional to give immediate assistance before the ambulance arrives.

Safe Schools

In the Smart Digital City schools could IoT device tracking to geo-fence students within the school site, generating alerts and location tracking for users within and outside school property. Granular door controls can be implemented for all students, ensuring unauthorised visitors cannot wander around freely, and emergency instructions could be pushed to each users IoT device in the event of an unplanned event.

Digital World

The transition towards the Smart City, Smart Building and Smart Enterprise is already underway, and as the exponential rise in Internet enabled devices continues, so too will the volumes of data collected, putting further pressure on legacy network infrastructure.

As our customers, staff and citizens accelerate towards their personal digital world, Managers in Smart Enterprise’s and Smart Buildings, and City Planners in Smart Cities must consider the impact on their own infrastructure to accommodate the new demands on the network.